Greece orders partial evacuation of Athens suburb as wildfires spread
Emergency alerts were issued for Haidari as forest fires broke out in Boeotia and Aspropyrgos
Talivio News · Global2 min read
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Greek authorities ordered the partial evacuation of parts of Haidari, a suburb located approximately 11 kilometres west of central Athens, following a forest fire. The Greek Civil Protection issued the order via emergency mobile phone alerts through the 112 system. Two messages were sent: the first at 16:03 for the wider area, and a second at 16:22 calling for evacuations from Afaia Haidariou and Ano Dasos Haidariou towards Peristeri via Athinon Avenue.
A wildfire broke out on the slopes of Mount Poikilo in the Aspropyrgos area, west of Athens, at approximately 15:29 on Friday. The blaze has resulted in road closures and traffic restrictions. The Western Attica Arson Crimes Investigation Unit has been activated to investigate the cause of the fire.
In the Aspropyrgos area, 108 firefighters—including six ground teams from the 1st EMODE special wildfire unit—and 27 vehicles are operating at the scene. Aerial firefighting efforts include five aircraft and six helicopters. Water tankers from the municipalities of Aspropyrgos, Fyli, Petroupoli, and Peristeri are also assisting.
Multiple fires and extreme conditions
A separate forest fire broke out on Friday morning in the Agios Vasilios area of Boeotia. More than 105 firefighters and 29 vehicles were reported to be tackling that blaze. Gale force winds have hampered water-dropping aircraft in the region, leaving only one helicopter able to take on water from the sea.
The Greek Fire Service reported that more than 70 forest fires were ongoing as of Friday afternoon. The fire service classified the area as Category 4, indicating a very high risk of wildfires. Additionally, explosion sounds related to electrical grid infrastructure were heard in the forested area during the fire. Authorities are considering the evacuation of the Dafni Psychiatric Hospital if the situation worsens.
These developments follow severe wildfires on the island of Crete, where it was reported that 4,500 hectares of land burned over a two-day period. In the Rethymno region of Crete, 8,000 people were evacuated, and three firefighters died in the ongoing forest fires in Greece.
24.9 °C
Europe's average temperature on Friday, which was 3.3°C above the 1961 to 1990 typical norm, according to Reuters Climate Monitor data.
Updates
Efforts to combat the fires near Athens via water-bombing aircraft have been hampered by winds reaching approximately 50 miles per hour. Additionally, while fires in other parts of Greece have been brought under control, the risk of further outbreaks remains very high.
Water-bombing aircraft operations near Athens have been significantly hindered by winds reaching approximately 50 miles per hour. While fires in other parts of Greece have been brought under control, the risk of new outbreaks remains very high.
Water-bombing aircraft operations near Athens have been hampered by winds reaching approximately 50 miles per hour. While fires in other parts of Greece have been brought under control, the risk of new outbreaks remains very high.
Water-bombing aircraft efforts near Athens have been hampered by winds of approximately 50 miles per hour, while fires in other parts of Greece have been brought under control despite a high risk of new outbreaks.
Water-bombing aircraft efforts near Athens have been hampered by winds reaching approximately 50 miles per hour. Meanwhile, while fires in other parts of Greece have been brought under control, the risk of new outbreaks remains very high.
The wildfire in the Aspropyrgos area has been burning for a third day, prompting orders for the evacuation of the Megara industrial park and the settlements of Kandyli, Aghia Skepi, Toutouli, Nea Dafni, Pefkeneas, and Aghios Sarantis as the fire advances. Two suspects, an electrical engineer and a cable installer, have been arrested on suspicion of causing the blaze, which investigators believe was likely triggered by sparks from cables connected to a private wind farm. Meanwhile, reports indicate that approximately 200 homes were destroyed or damaged in Porto Germeno and around 10,000 hectares of land burned, while further evacuations were forced on the island of Kefalonia.
The wildfire in Aspropyrgos has entered its third day, prompting further evacuations in the Megara industrial park and several settlements including Kandyli, Aghia Skepi, Toutouli, Nea Dafni, Pefkeneas, and Aghios Sarantis. Investigations suggest the blaze may have been caused by sparks from cables at a private wind farm, leading to the arrest of an electrical engineer and an installer, while police continue to seek the wind farm owner. Additionally, a separate wildfire on the island of Kefalonia has also forced evacuations.
The wildfire in Aspropyrgos has entered its third day, prompting evacuations for the Megara industrial park and several surrounding settlements as the blaze advances. Investigations suggest the fire may have been caused by sparks from private wind farm cables, leading to the arrest of an electrical engineer and an installation specialist, while authorities seek the wind farm owner. In Porto Germeno, approximately 200 homes were destroyed or damaged alongside 10,000 hectares of burned land, prompting Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis to pledge state support for affected residents.
The wildfire in Aspropyrgos has entered its third day, leading to evacuations in Megara's industrial park and several surrounding settlements including Kandyli, Aghia Skepi, and Toutouli. Authorities have arrested an electrical engineer and a cable installer on suspicion of causing the blaze, which investigators believe was likely sparked by cables from a private wind farm. Additionally, reported damage in Porto Germeno includes approximately 200 destroyed or damaged homes and the loss of roughly 10,000 hectares of land.
The wildfire in the Aspropyrgos area has been burning for a third day, with authorities ordering evacuations for the Megara industrial park and several nearby settlements including Kandyli, Aghia Skepi, Toutouli, Nea Dafni, Pefkeneas, and Aghios Sarantis. Investigators suggest the blaze may have been caused by sparks from cables connected to a private wind farm, leading to the arrest of an electrical engineer and a cable installer, while police seek the wind farm owner. Meanwhile, reports indicate approximately 200 homes were destroyed or damaged in Porto Germeno, with the fire burning over 10,000 hectares of land.
The wildfire in Aspropyrgos has entered its third day, as authorities ordered evacuations for the Megara industrial park and the settlements of Kandyli, Aghia Skepi, Toutouli, Nea Dafni, Pefkeneas, and Aghios Sarantis. Investigations suggest the blaze may have been caused by sparks from cables connected to a private wind farm, leading to the arrest of an electrical engineer and an installer, while police seek the wind farm's owner. Additionally, approximately 200 homes were destroyed or damaged in Porto Germeno, with the fire consuming around 10,000 hectares of land.
The Aspropyrgos wildfire has entered its third day, prompting new evacuation orders for the Megara industrial park and several surrounding settlements including Kandyli and Aghia Skepi. Authorities have arrested an electrical engineer and a cable installer in connection with the blaze, which investigators believe was likely caused by sparks from cables connected to a private wind farm. Meanwhile, reports indicate that approximately 200 homes were destroyed or damaged in Porto Germeno, with the fire consuming over 10,000 hectares of land.
The wildfire in Aspropyrgos has entered its third day, prompting wide-scale evacuations of the Megara industrial park and several surrounding settlements including Kandyli, Aghia Skepi, and Toutouli. Investigations suggest the blaze may have been caused by sparks from electrical cables linked to a private wind farm, leading to the arrest of an electrical engineer and a cable installer. Meanwhile, reports indicate that approximately 200 homes were destroyed or damaged in Porto Germeno, with the fire consuming roughly 10,000 hectares of land.
The wildfire in the Aspropyrgos area has been burning for a third day, with evacuations now extended to the Megara industrial park and several settlements including Kandyli, Aghia Skepi, Toutouli, Nea Dafni, Pefkeneas, and Aghios Sarantis. Additionally, two people, including an electrical engineer and a cable installer, have been arrested on suspicion of causing the blaze, which investigators believe was likely sparked by cables from a private wind farm. Meanwhile, reports indicate that approximately 200 homes were destroyed or damaged in Porto Germeno, and around 10,000 hectares of land have burned.
The wildfire in the Aspropyrgos area has been burning for a third day, with approximately 200 homes destroyed or damaged in Porto Germeno and roughly 10,000 hectares of land burned. Investigations suggest the blaze was likely caused by sparks from electricity cables connected to a private wind farm, leading to the arrest of an electrical engineer and a cable installer. Additionally, evacuations have been extended to the Megara industrial park and several surrounding settlements as the fire advances.
The wildfire in the Aspropyrgos area has been burning for a third day, leading to evacuations in the Megara industrial park and various settlements including Kandyli, Aghia Skepi, Toutouli, Nea Dafni, Pefkeneas, and Aghios Sarantis. Meanwhile, the blaze in Porto Germeno has destroyed or damaged approximately 200 homes and burned around 10,000 hectares of land. Additionally, a separate wildfire on the island of Kefalonia has also forced evacuations on Sunday.
The wildfire in western Attica has escalated, with recent estimates suggesting it has scorched approximately 14,000 hectares, up from the previously reported 10,000 hectares. Investigations into the blaze's cause have led to the arrest of an electrical engineer and an installer on suspicion of negligent arson involving a wind farm's power cables. Additionally, the firefighting efforts have faced a tragic setback following a mid-air helicopter collision that killed a Danish pilot and a Greek co-pilot.
The wildfire in western Attica has escalated, with the blaze now estimated to have scorched 14,000 hectares of land, up from the previously reported 10,000 hectares. The fire has also caused a fatal mid-air collision between two helicopters near Athens, resulting in the deaths of a Danish pilot and his Greek co-pilot. Furthermore, two contractors have been arrested on suspicion of negligent arson after investigators linked the blaze to sparks from a wind farm's power lines.
The wildfire in Aspropyrgos has entered its third day, resulting in the deaths of five firefighters, including two who died in a helicopter collision near Psatha on Sunday. Authorities have arrested two contractors—an electrical engineer and an installer—on suspicion of negligent arson after investigators linked the blaze to sparks from a private wind farm's power cables. The fire has now affected an estimated 13,000 to 14,000 hectares, causing the evacuation of several settlements including Kandyli, Agia Skepi, and Toutouli.
The wildfire near Athens has intensified, with recent estimates indicating that approximately 14,000 hectares of land have been scorched in western Attica. The death toll from wildfires in Greece has risen to five, including a Danish pilot and a Greek co-pilot who were killed in a mid-air helicopter collision on Sunday. Furthermore, two contractors have been arrested on suspicion of negligent arson after investigators linked the blaze to sparks from a private wind farm's power cables.
The wildfire in the Aspropyrgos area has been burning for a third day, while two contractors have been arrested on suspicion of negligent arson after investigators linked the blaze to sparks from wind farm electricity cables. The fire has now scorched an estimated 14,000 hectares, and the death toll from wildfires in Greece has risen to five, following a mid-air helicopter collision on Sunday that killed a Danish pilot and his Greek co-pilot. Additionally, evacuations have been ordered for the Megara industrial park and several nearby settlements as the fire continues to advance.
The wildfire near Athens has caused five firefighter fatalities since last week, including a Danish pilot and his Greek co-pilot who died following a mid-air helicopter collision on Sunday. Investigations into the blaze in the Viotia region suggest it was likely caused by sparks from a private wind farm's power cables, leading to the arrest of an electrical engineer and an installer. Additionally, evacuations have expanded to include the Megara industrial park and several settlements, while the fire is now estimated to have scorched approximately 14,000 hectares in western Attica.
The wildfire in the Aspropyrgos area has been burning for a third day, leading to the arrest of an electrical engineer and a cable installer suspected of negligent arson linked to sparks from a private wind farm's power lines. Additionally, the casualty count has risen to five firefighters dead since last week, including a Danish pilot and a Greek co-pilot who died in a helicopter collision on Sunday. Recent estimates indicate the fire has scorched approximately 14,000 hectares, while evacuations have expanded to include the Megara industrial park and several nearby settlements.
The wildfire near Athens has caused five firefighter fatalities since last week, including two who died in a mid-air helicopter collision on Sunday. Investigations into the blaze suggest it was likely sparked by electricity cables from a private wind farm, leading to the arrest of an electrical engineer and a cable installer. Additionally, evacuation orders have been extended to the Megara industrial park and several nearby settlements, while the fire in western Attica is now estimated to have scorched approximately 14,000 hectares.
The wildfire near Athens has escalated as the death toll from recent fires has risen to five, including two firefighters killed in a mid-air helicopter collision on Sunday. Investigations suggest the blaze was likely caused by sparks from cables linked to a private wind farm, leading to the arrest of an electrical engineer and a cable installer. Additionally, evacuations have expanded to include the Megara industrial park and several settlements such as Kandyli and Aghia Skepi, while the affected area has grown to include over 14,000 hectares of land.
The wildfire west of Athens has been burning for five days, with authorities reporting that the situation near Psatha has improved despite remaining hotspots. While some fires in other parts of Greece, including Cephalonia, have been largely contained, officials warn that the current blaze has scorched an estimated 14,000 hectares. Additionally, two people have been arrested on suspicion of negligent arson after investigators linked the fire to sparks from a private wind farm's power cables.
The wildfire in western Attica has scorched an estimated 14,000 hectares of land, and authorities have arrested two contractors, including an electrical engineer, on suspicion of negligent arson after investigating a faulty power line from a private wind farm as the likely cause. The blaze destroyed or damaged approximately 200 homes in Porto Germeno, and while some fires in other parts of Greece have been contained, the situation remains critical with five firefighters dead since last week, including two who died in a helicopter collision on Sunday.
The wildfire in the Aspropyrgos area has been burning for a third day, while investigators suspect the blaze was likely caused by sparks from private wind farm electricity cables, leading to the arrest of two contractors. Additionally, the fire has caused significant damage, with recent estimates indicating that approximately 14,000 hectares of land have been scorched and roughly 200 homes in Porto Germeno were destroyed or damaged. Amidst the crisis, two firefighters were killed in a mid-air helicopter collision near Psatha on Sunday.
The wildfire near Athens has expanded its impact to an estimated 14,000 hectares of land, with approximately 200 homes reported destroyed or damaged in Porto Germeno. Investigations suggest the blaze was likely triggered by sparks from electricity cables linked to a private wind farm, leading to the arrest of two contractors and a local mayor. Additionally, the firefighting operation has faced significant challenges due to erratic winds exceeding 100 kilometers per hour, which prevented water-bombing aircraft from effectively drawing seawater.
